Combination structure for a labyrinth

ABSTRACT

A combination structure for a labyrinth includes a plurality of labyrinth units. Each of the labyrinth unit is composed of four frame supports and four connectors. Each frame support is in the form of a cylindrical pipe. Each of the connectors defines a plurality of mounting holes. Each of the frame supports can be fitted into one mounting hole of one connector, so that the frame supports can be releasably joined together by the connectors. As such, a labyrinth structure can be constructed or dismantled easily and quickly, the manufacturing cost of the components can be reduced significantly, and the components can be transported easily and quickly.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a combination structure for alabyrinth, which is constructed of frame supports and connectors, andcan be dismantled quickly and easily to configure a different labyrinthroute.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Generally, a conventional labyrinth building located outdoors forentertainment or teaching is constructed with a plurality of partitionboards and a plurality of fastening components, such as screws or nails.However, the route of the labyrinth building is fixed and cannot bechanged. Thus, after several games having been played in the labyrinthbuilding, the labyrinth route can be remembered, and thus the fun andchallenge of playing a labyrinth game would be lost. Therefore, peoplewould be lack of interest in play a game in the labyrinth building againand thus the building may become abandoned. For maintaining thefreshness of labyrinth games, the route of the labyrinth building has tobe changed frequently. However, it is extremely time-consuming andtroublesome for the labyrinth building to be dismantled. Moreover, thepartition boards are prone to damage and thus cannot be used again. As aresult, the dismantled partition boards have to be abandoned, and thiswould cause material waste and environmental pollution. In addition, thecomponents of the conventional labyrinth building are bulky, so thatthey would occupy large space, and are uneasy to be transported. Anotherdisadvantage is that the interior of the labyrinth building cannot beseen from the outside. Children playing games in the labyrinth buildingmay cry because of panic. Also, since adults cannot grasp the movementsand locations of children playing in the labyrinth building, childrenmay be at risk. For solving the above disadvantages of conventionallabyrinth structures, applicant developed a labyrinth combinationstructure (a granted U.S. Pat. No. 8,523,691 B2). The labyrinthcombination structure is constructed with a plurality of labyrinthunits. Each labyrinth unit is composed of four frame supports, areinforcing rod, and a plurality of fixing members. The labyrinthcombination structure can be constructed at any place, and can beconstructed or dismantled without any tools. Since the labyrinthcombination structure allows to be changed, it can provide a variety oflabyrinth routes to achieve the purpose of entertainment and education.Also, the interior of the disclosed invention can be seen from theoutside, thus increasing the safety of playing labyrinth games. However,the disclosed invention requires a lot of components, and themanufacturing cost is high. There is still room for improvement.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

One object of the present invention is to provide a combinationstructure for a labyrinth, which can solve the disadvantages, concerningcomponent manufacturing, component assembling, and componenttransportation, of conventional labyrinth structures.

One embodiment of the labyrinth combination structure comprises aplurality of labyrinth units. Each of the labyrinth unit is composed offour frame supports and four connectors. Each frame support is in theform of a cylindrical pipe. Each of the connectors is in the form of amulti-faced body and defines a mounting hole at each outer face thereof.Each of the frame supports can be fitted into one mounting hole of oneconnector, so that the frame supports can be releasably joined togetherby the connectors, thus constructing the combination structure.

Another embodiment of the labyrinth combination structure comprises aplurality of labyrinth units. Each of the labyrinth unit is composed offour frame supports and four connectors. Each frame support is in theform of a cylindrical pipe. Each of the connectors is in the form of aspherical body and defines a plurality of mounting holes. Each of theframe supports can be fitted into one mounting hole of one connector, sothat the frame supports can be releasably joined together by theconnectors, thus constructing the combination structure. According toone aspect of the present invention, two adjacent ones of the labyrinthunits are connected such that one frame support and two connectorsjoined with the frame support serve as common components shared betweenthe two adjacent labyrinth units, thus simplifying the combinationstructure.

On advantage of the present invention is that the components of thepresent invention, including a plurality of frame supports and aplurality of connectors, are simple in structure, so that a labyrinthstructure can be constructed or dismantled easily and quickly, themanufacturing cost of the components can be reduced significantly, andthe components can be transported easily and quickly.

Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present inventionwill become more apparent from the following detailed description whentaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an exploded view of a labyrinth unit used in the presentinvention.

FIG. 2 shows a 3-dimensional schematic view of a frame support and aconnector, which are components of the labyrinth unit.

FIG. 3 shows a 3-dimensional view of an assembled labyrinth unit.

FIG. 4 shows a sectional view of a connector assembled with a pluralityof frame supports.

FIG. 5 shows a 3-dimensional view of an assembled structure using threelabyrinth units.

FIG. 6 shows a 3-dimensional view of an example of a combinationstructure for a labyrinth according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 shows a top view of the combination structure shown in FIG. 6.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

To understand the objects and advantages of the present invention, apreferred embodiment is illustrated in the following paragraphs withreference to the accompanying drawings.

Referring initially to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a labyrinth combinationstructure according to one embodiment of the present invention is shown,which comprises a plurality of labyrinth units 1. Each labyrinth unit 1is composed of four frame supports 10 and four connectors 11. Each framesupport 10 is in the form of a cylindrical pipe. Each of the connectors11 can be formed as a multi-faced body or polyhedral body.Alternatively, each connector can take the form of a spherical body.Preferably, each of the connectors 11 is formed as a cuboid, whereineach of the connectors 11 defines a mounting hole 110 at each outer facethereof. One end of a frame support 10 can be fitted into one mountinghole 110 of one collector 11, so that a labyrinth combination structurecan be constructed.

In assembling, as shown in FIGS. 1 through 5, first of all, twoconnectors 11 are respectively fitted over two opposite ends of a firstframe support 10, wherein the first frame support 10 is locatedhorizontally. The two opposite ends of the first frame support 10 arerespectively inserted or fitted into one mounting hole 110 of oneconnector 11 and one mounting hole 110 of the other connector 11. Assuch, the first frame support 10 can be fixed to the mounting holes 110of the two connectors 11, thus forming a lower side of a labyrinth unit.Secondly, two additional frame supports 10 (second and third framesupports) are respectively inserted into two upper mounting holes 110respectively defined at the two connectors 11, so that the second andthird frame supports 10 are perpendicular to the first frame support orlower side of the labyrinth unit and are respectively formed as left andright sides of the labyrinth unit. Thirdly, two additional connectors 11are respectively fitted over the upper ends of the second and thirdframe supports 10, and then a fourth frame support 10 is fitted betweenthe two additional connectors 11 located at the upper ends of the secondand third frame supports 10, thus forming an upper side of the labyrinthunit. Each side of the labyrinth unit is constructed in a similarmanner, wherein one frame support 10 can be inserted into one mountinghole of one connector 11, so that the frame support 10 can be fixedlyconnected to the connector 11. After four frame supports 10 are joinedtogether by four connectors 11 in a manner as described above, alabyrinth unit 1 can be constructed (see FIG. 3). For constructing astructure composed of two or more labyrinth units, two further framesupports 10 can be respectively connected to the upper and lowerconnectors 11 of the left side or the right side of a previouslyconstructed labyrinth unit, and a further frame support 10 and twofurther connectors 11 can be used to join with the two further framesupports 10 to form another labyrinth unit. Of course, a furtherlabyrinth unit can be located above a previously constructed labyrinthunit, as shown in FIG. 5. In this manner, a labyrinth unit can bequickly and easily expanded to multiple labyrinth units by following theabove assembling procedure, thus constructing a labyrinth structure.

In use, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, a labyrinth structure 2 can beconstructed by following the above assembling procedure, wherein aplurality of labyrinth units 1 can be arranged to configure a desiredlabyrinth route, and the labyrinth structure can be constructed on anyterrain or place. Also, the labyrinth structure can be changed easily,so that it can provide a variety of labyrinth routes and thus canmaintain the freshness of labyrinth games to achieve the purpose ofentertainment and education. When dismantling a labyrinth structure forchanging the route thereof or moving the structure, each frame support10 can be taken out of the associated mounting hole 110 of a connectoreasily and quickly by applying a force. The labyrinth structure 2 can beconstructed or dismantled easily and quickly without using any tools.After the labyrinth structure 2 is dismantled into components, thecomponents occupy less space and thus can be transported easily and thusthe transportation cost can be reduced significantly. Since eachlabyrinth unit 1 is constructed simply with frame supports 10 andconnectors 11, a labyrinth structure using multiple labyrinth units 1can achieve a simple design and thus allows a great reduction of themanufacturing cost. Also, the labyrinth units 1 are not easily damagedand can be used repeatedly to construct a labyrinth structure having adesired labyrinth route. Since the interior of the labyrinth structure2, including multiple labyrinth units 1, can be seen from the outside,adults can know the locations and movements of their children, so thatthe labyrinth structure can be used safely.

While the invention has been described with reference to the preferredembodiment above, it should be recognized that the preferred embodimentis given for the purpose of illustration only and is not intended tolimit the scope of the present invention and that various modificationsand changes, which will be apparent to those skilled in the relevantart, may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

1: A combination structure for a labyrinth, which comprises a pluralityof identical labyrinth units, each of the labyrinth unit being composedof four identical frame supports and four identical connectors, whereineach frame support is in the form of a cylindrical pipe, and each of theconnectors is in the form of a polyhedral body and defines a mountinghole at each outer face thereof, each mounting hole having a diametersubstantially same as each of the frame supports, each of the framesupports capable of being fitted into one mounting hole of one connectorby one end thereof, the contactors capable of contacting a floor orground, so that the frame supports can be releasably joined together andsupported by the connectors, thus constructing the combination structurequickly and easily. 2: The combination structure of claim 1, wherein twoadjacent ones of the labyrinth units are connected such that one framesupport and two connectors joined with the frame support serve as commoncomponents shared between the two adjacent labyrinth units. 3-4.(canceled) 5: The combination structure of claim 1, wherein each of theconnectors is in the form of a cuboid.